Friday, 13 November 2015

Simon Callery Flat Paintings at Fold Gallery

Yesterday, after a bit of a search I found the Fold Gallery ( nearly going base over apex missing the 'mind the step' notice). I'd been intrigued by a posting by Selvedge on Facebook about textile workof Simon Callery, the exhibition finishes tomorrow (14th) so didn't have much time to catch it. ﻿

From the blurb: "These large -scale flat paintings on show originate in the landscape where Callery has worked for the last 2 seasons alongside excavations led by the University of Oxford in Moel y Gaer, Bodfari, North Wales.
The impact of this landscape and excavation site on the painting results in a group of works that expose all evidence of the making process as significant features in the completed works . They reveal to the viewer multi-layered external and internal surfaces and voids. The canvases have been soaked with highly saturated pigments and have been cut and stitched .They are ragged, torn and perforated."
There's a video here where he explains about the processes involved.

I spent about half an hour with these 4 pieces, peering at them from different angles, making sketches and taking notes of my impressions.
What I paid particular attention to was comparing the top 2 pieces - the top one painted with ferrous distemper had been washed which gave a completely different quality to the holes which were ragged and frayed rather then the more precise cut holes in the 2nd piece painted with caput mortuum pigment. In sideways view this gave completely different landscapes of flaps and ragged edges sticking out into the gap, almost touching.
I loved the variation in subtle tones in the 3rd cadmium red piece but as there were fewer holes ( and none in the back piece of fabric) , looking between the layers was more of void. Having a 6 inch or so gap between the layers of canvas gave such life to the pieces , it got me thinking how to incorporate that kind of effect in my own work
I was less struck by the ' Wallspine (Leaf), although the 3d variation of line as a result of the folds was interesting. Perhaps it was the colour which did not have the subtleties and variations of the other pieces

When I got home I fished some of my indigo dyed old quilts out of my packed sealed boxes ( naughty!), looking with fresh eyes at this old log cabin with the torn back, wondering how I can have both sides on view and how to work into them. Thinking about the qualities of holes.

2 comments:

Thank you for this post. Very interesting. You have probably seen it, but there is an interview with Simon about painting made 10 years ago where he also talks about looking at works from the side, seeking the authenticity of marks, rather than only looking at the frontal image. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEeUaaYprxo